Integrating Socio-Economic Considerations into Biosafety Regulations

THIRD WORLD NETWORK BIOSAFETY INFORMATION SERVICE 

Dear Friends and Colleagues 

Integrating Socio-Economic Considerations into Biosafety Regulations 

The need to consider a broader range of issues, beyond the environmental and health-related aspects, when assessing the use of agricultural biotechnologies has been identified in international frameworks and national regulations on GMOs. For example, under Article 26 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, Parties may take into account socio-economic considerations.  

However, this is still a relatively new area that many countries are seeking further guidance on. A new research paper from GenØk-Centre for Biosafety, Norway, describes and analyzes the state of the art of existing biosafety institutional frameworks, legislation and policies with provisions on socio-economic considerations in 34 countries with a deeper analysis of Norway, the first country to include broader issues in its GMO assessment process.  

The review found that very few of the analysed regulations establish robust methodologies during the processes of framing, data gathering, assessment and decision-making related to socio-economic considerations. Furthermore, the respective scientific evidence and data on socio-economic factors remain insufficient, inconclusive or uncertain. The main differences relate to the status of the regulations and approach used. There is therefore a need for both more empirical data and for capacity building on how to perform socio-economic assessments. The researchers stress the importance of identifying protection goals in framing the assessment, in order to achieve an efficient and transparent process. 

There is a also need to characterize the different roles played by stakeholders in the regulatory framework at all key phases of the assessment. Scientists and the biotechnology industry have often dominated the debates concerning risk issues, usually neglecting holistic issues like culture in agricultural systems. As stakeholders use different conceptual frameworks in their identification of the values deemed important in the risk governance of GM crops, it is therefore important that normative values (or policy goals) are made explicit and that debates on values include public participation.  

Finally, the Precautionary Principle was found explicitly applied to socio-economic considerations in only 3 of the 34 countries examined. The researchers recommend drawing upon the working definition of the principle by the European Environmental Agency, which establishes that an appropriate implementation of the precautionary principle should involve a well-conceived socio-economic assessment.

With best wishes, 

Third World Network
131 Jalan Macalister
10400 Penang
Malaysia

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INCLUSION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS IN GMO REGULATIONS: NEEDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

Rosa Binimelis and Anne Ingeborg Myhr
Sustainability 2016, 8(1), 62
http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/1/62 

Abstract

Socio-economic considerations are included in the regulatory frameworks on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) of many countries. This is a reflection of an increasing interest in and recognition of the necessity to consider a broader range of issues when conducting a GMO risk assessment. At the same time, there are discussions about how socio-economic considerations can be identified and how their assessment can be carried out. To provide an understanding of the advances achieved so far, we describe the state of the art of existing biosafety institutional frameworks, legislation and policies with provisions on socio-economic considerations. We analyse the scope of the socio-economic considerations that have been included, the methodological options taken and the role of participatory processes and stakeholders involvement in the GMO-related decision-making. Since many of the countries that have legislation for assessing socio-economic considerations lack implementation experience, we provide an analysis of how implementation has evolved in Norway with the intention to illustrate that the inclusion of socio-economic considerations might be based on a learning process. Norway was the first country to include broader issues in its GMO assessment process, and is at present one of the countries with the most experience on implementation of these issues. Finally, we emphasise that there is a great need for training on how to perform assessments of socio-economic considerations, as well as reflection on possible ways for inclusion of participatory processes.

Integrating Socio-Economic Considerations into Biosafety Regulations

INCLUSION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS IN GMO REGULATIONS: NEEDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

Rosa Binimelis and Anne Ingeborg Myhr
Sustainability 2016, 8(1), 62
http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/1/62 

Abstract

Socio-economic considerations are included in the regulatory frameworks on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) of many countries. This is a reflection of an increasing interest in and recognition of the necessity to consider a broader range of issues when conducting a GMO risk assessment. At the same time, there are discussions about how socio-economic considerations can be identified and how their assessment can be carried out. To provide an understanding of the advances achieved so far, we describe the state of the art of existing biosafety institutional frameworks, legislation and policies with provisions on socio-economic considerations. We analyse the scope of the socio-economic considerations that have been included, the methodological options taken and the role of participatory processes and stakeholders involvement in the GMO-related decision-making. Since many of the countries that have legislation for assessing socio-economic considerations lack implementation experience, we provide an analysis of how implementation has evolved in Norway with the intention to illustrate that the inclusion of socio-economic considerations might be based on a learning process. Norway was the first country to include broader issues in its GMO assessment process, and is at present one of the countries with the most experience on implementation of these issues. Finally, we emphasise that there is a great need for training on how to perform assessments of socio-economic considerations, as well as reflection on possible ways for inclusion of participatory processes.

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